SAKURA COLLECTION

　 古来より日本の春の象徴として特別な意味を持つ「桜」。日本人なら春の訪れを桜の息吹とともに感じる人も多いはずだ。そもそも桜が日本人から愛されるのは、その独特の美しさだけでなく、日本人の「諸行無常」の精神と結びつき、日本文化に溶け込んでいるからかもしれない。桜の花が咲き、散りゆくまではわずか10日ほど。「明日ありと思う心の仇桜夜半に嵐の吹かぬものかは」（親鸞聖人）と、すぐに散ってしまう花を人の命に喩えた詩もあるほど、先人達もその儚い美しさに魅了されていた。

Since ancient times cherry blossoms, known as sakura, have been the symbolic flower of spring in Japan. The blooming of cherry blossoms represents springs’ arrival to most Japanese. Cherry blossoms are loved by the Japanese not only because they have a unique aesthetic beauty, but also because they are associated with shogyo mujo; the Japanese ideology that nothing is permanent. The cherry blossoms bloom brilliantly and fall in a display of transience—lasting no longer than ten days. Our ancestors were also mesmerized by the cherry blossoms’ ephemeral beauty—as seen in the poem by Buddhist monk Shinran Shonin, who compared the human lifespan to cherry blossoms trailed around their trees shortly after their bloom.

　 また、何世紀も前から日本では桜を見ながら茶や酒を飲んだり、詩を詠むなど花見の文 化が受け継がれており、春を歓迎する行事として知られている。実は世界各国で見られる 桜だが、日本では文化に根強く溶け込んでいることもあり、近年ではたくさんの外国人観 光客が桜の時期に訪れるほど有名となった。

For centuries, drinking tea, liquor, and reading poems while watching the cherry blossoms has been the traditional way to welcome spring in Japan. Cherry blossoms can be found all over the world, but they have become deeply integrated into Japanese culture. In recent years it has become so famous that many foreign tourists visit the county during the cherry blossom season.

　 A BATHING APE®では、そんな桜をテーマにしたTシャツを毎年展開している。

A BATHING APE® has been marketing T-shirts with the concept of such cherry blossoms each year, and this year, because of their popularity, we have decided to launch SAKURA COLLECTION.

SAKURA COLLECTION ITEMS

　 BAPE × SAKURAアイテムは国内外のお客様からの多くの支持もあり、今年はついに「SAKURA COLLECTION」としてローンチする。まるで毛筆で書かれたようなフォントロゴに、舞い散る桜の花びら。Tシャツだけではなく、スーベニアジャケットやスウェット、キャップなど、BAPE®の世界観と日本古来から続く桜の文化が見事に融合したデザインを落とし込んだ、スペシャルなアイテムが揃う。是非店頭、WEB STOREにてチェックしてほしい。

A BATHING APE® has been launching SAKURA tees T-shirts annually. This year, the brand is launching items besides T-shirts as the long-awaited SAKURA COLLECTION. The collection features logo prints with the font resembling calligraphy and the trailing cherry blossom petals. The design is featured on souvenir jackets, sweatshirts and caps. Items were designed to tell a story fusing the spirit of BAPE® and the cherry blossom culture that has lived on in Japan since ancient times. Stay tuned for more by A BATHING APE®!